:00:00. > 3:59:59getting to Europe illegally. More than 40,000 have made the journey so
:00:00. > :00:00.far this year. Welcome to North West Tonight with
:00:00. > :00:07.Beccy Meehan and Roger Johnson. The first application goes in
:00:08. > :00:11.since earth tremors brought Cuadrilla wants to drill at several
:00:12. > :00:17.sites near Little Plumpton. The family who feared they were
:00:18. > :00:21.going to be killed by a gang of men wielding machetes who broke
:00:22. > :00:25.into their house while they slept. And the end of an era:
:00:26. > :00:36.The world's oldest sports shop Pro nobody cares, nobody listened. I
:00:37. > :00:42.thought maybe my son was dead, my daughter was dead. Dimethyl Trafford
:00:43. > :00:46.Emirates, where the talk is of Andrew Flintoff's decision to come
:00:47. > :00:54.out of retirement. These are the latest pictures of him training with
:00:55. > :00:58.his team`mates. More later. And the end of an era. The world's oldest
:00:59. > :01:04.sports shop, closing down after more than a century.
:01:05. > :01:07.The energy company Cuadrilla has submitted a planning application to
:01:08. > :01:10.carry out the controversial process of fracking at one of its sites
:01:11. > :01:14.It wants to hydraulically fracture several exploration wells at
:01:15. > :01:19.It's thought to be the first such application since fracking was
:01:20. > :01:23.halted following two earth tremors in the Blackpool area in 2011.
:01:24. > :01:30.Peter Marshall is here to explain more.
:01:31. > :01:33.Cuadrilla has applied to drill, frack and test the flow of shale gas
:01:34. > :01:37.from up to four exploration wells at its Little Plumpton site.
:01:38. > :01:40.A separate application will be submitted soon for a second site
:01:41. > :01:45.Fracking divides opinion ` some say the process, which
:01:46. > :01:49.involves injecting water, sand and chemicals deep into the ground to
:01:50. > :01:53.fracture shale rock and release gas, will help lower energy prices and
:01:54. > :02:00.Opponents fear environmental damage, pollution and industrialisation
:02:01. > :02:11.of the countryside. They say they'll try and prevent it.
:02:12. > :02:17.We're going to object in any lawful and legal way we can. We're going to
:02:18. > :02:21.encourage the whole community. There is more than one group here now in
:02:22. > :02:25.the Fylde area. There are 15 groups, so each of those smaller groups will
:02:26. > :02:28.rally their objections as well. I think it is that they don't
:02:29. > :02:32.underestimate how powerfully we feel about this.
:02:33. > :02:35.Well, Cuadrilla says its application backed with a detailed environmental
:02:36. > :02:38.impact assessment now has to be validated by Lancashire County
:02:39. > :02:41.Then there'll be a formal consultation process during
:02:42. > :02:47.And it could take up to 16 weeks before a final decision is reached.
:02:48. > :02:50.Other potential fracking sites from Balcombe to Barton Moss have
:02:51. > :02:51.attracted anti`fracking protests which have delayed
:02:52. > :02:56.More of that can and will be expected.
:02:57. > :02:59.Cuadrilla says it's committed to being a good neighbour and will keep
:03:00. > :03:10.A family from Salford were left fearing for
:03:11. > :03:13.their lives after a group of masked men wielding machetes tried to break
:03:14. > :03:17.Iftikhar and Parveen Hussain and their family fought
:03:18. > :03:20.off the attackers for 20 minutes to stop them getting inside.
:03:21. > :03:34.I am scared all the time. Are you scared this could happen again two
:03:35. > :03:36.yes, I am very scared. I was thinking maybe my son is dead, maybe
:03:37. > :03:38.everybody is dead. For Parveen and Iftikhar Hussain,
:03:39. > :03:40.what happened late on Monday night has left them
:03:41. > :03:43.fearing for their lives. Their sons were sleeping,
:03:44. > :03:45.the daughters watching TV When Mum heard loud banging on the
:03:46. > :03:50.door, she looked out of the window. What she saw was a group of masked
:03:51. > :04:04.men with machetes and poles. There were people in masks, and with
:04:05. > :04:10.black gloves on their hands. The man was holding a machete, and half his
:04:11. > :04:13.face was in there as well. So the machete is here? Yes. He was hitting
:04:14. > :04:16.like this from the outside. For 20 minutes,
:04:17. > :04:19.Ibrar and his siblings fought trying It's not yet known why
:04:20. > :04:23.the family's home was targeted. But in recent months there have been
:04:24. > :04:26.a series of attacks targeting Asian families for Asian gold jewellery
:04:27. > :04:29.which is extremely valuable. The Hussains, though, say they
:04:30. > :04:45.have no valuables in the house. I have no jewellery, no expensive
:04:46. > :04:48.mobile. Only just a ?10 mobile. No jewellery here.
:04:49. > :04:51.The family say they will now move out of this home as they
:04:52. > :04:57.The police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
:04:58. > :05:00.A junior doctor working in paediatrics has appeared in court
:05:01. > :05:04.Raza Laskar, who's 30 and from Ashton`under`Lyne,
:05:05. > :05:07.is charged with sexual activity with a child and possessing
:05:08. > :05:19.The footballer Joey Barton has apologised for a remark he made on
:05:20. > :05:23.The Queens Park Rangers midfielder was involved in a heated exchange
:05:24. > :05:29.with one of the North West's newly elected UKIP MEPs Louise Bours.
:05:30. > :05:35.All you represent to me as UKIP is the best of a bad bunch, so if I'm
:05:36. > :05:40.somewhere, and there were four really ugly girls, I'm thinking,
:05:41. > :05:44.well, she's not the worst, because that's all you are. That's all you
:05:45. > :05:50.are to us. I have to say, the ignorance just espoused by this
:05:51. > :05:51.gentleman here... He basically fulfils the mission that football
:05:52. > :05:54.is' brains are in their feet. The Queen Victoria cruise liner has
:05:55. > :05:57.docked in Liverpool as part of celebrations to mark
:05:58. > :05:59.the centenary of the Aquitania's The fellow Cunard vessel
:06:00. > :06:03.served in both World Wars, The new boss
:06:04. > :06:08.of the NHS has said big isn't always Simon Stevens,
:06:09. > :06:13.the new Chief Executive of NHS England says small local hospitals
:06:14. > :06:17.have a vital role to play. His comments have been welcomed in
:06:18. > :06:20.communities which feared their local Our Chief Reporter Dave Guest has
:06:21. > :06:34.been to one of them in Cumbria. It's not much to look at from the
:06:35. > :06:39.outside, but those who have used it say this hospital is a small place
:06:40. > :06:45.that plays a big role in this community. I had a hip operation
:06:46. > :06:50.five and a half years ago, and I was able to come here to recuperate. So
:06:51. > :06:53.when the one ward had to be temporarily closed due to staff
:06:54. > :06:57.shortages recently, rumours started spreading that this could be the
:06:58. > :07:00.beginning of the end, and so the people of the town mobilised in
:07:01. > :07:05.their hundreds to demonstrate against any loss of the hospital.
:07:06. > :07:08.There are around eight and a half thousand people in this town, and at
:07:09. > :07:14.some point, there is a family member that has been in there. It is just
:07:15. > :07:17.so important. The health trust responsible for it says there is no
:07:18. > :07:21.plan to close this hospital. Quite the reverse, in fact. They say they
:07:22. > :07:26.plan to expand services here. It seems they will be in line with
:07:27. > :07:29.current national thinking. Today, places such as this received a vote
:07:30. > :07:34.of confidence from a key player health service. Simon Stephens, the
:07:35. > :07:36.new chief executive of NHS England, said he wanted to see smaller
:07:37. > :07:44.hospitals playing a bigger role in health care, especially care for
:07:45. > :07:47.elderly people. It is a golden opportunity for as now to Bush ahead
:07:48. > :07:50.with all that we know about community hospitals, and there is
:07:51. > :07:55.plenty to do, and plenty of information we have on how good they
:07:56. > :07:59.are, how relatively cheap they are to run. No one is suggesting a
:08:00. > :08:05.return to the cosy days of the cottage Hospital of the 1950s, but
:08:06. > :08:09.here in Cumbria, they say small hospitals have long had an important
:08:10. > :08:12.role to play, and they will continue to do so. If we take this hospital,
:08:13. > :08:46.it is a true community I think Blackpool was a complete
:08:47. > :08:47.wash`out. But Chester was sunny. Everywhere else was great. Liverpool
:08:48. > :08:48.was magnificent. Well, the Commonwealth Games
:08:49. > :08:50.version arrives tomorrow. Yes,
:08:51. > :08:52.it's called the Queen's Baton Relay and has already visited the Isle of
:08:53. > :10:23.Man but is welcomed to England for then, it has to sports city, and
:10:24. > :10:27.then onto Congleton, when it will be carried by someone who has a more
:10:28. > :10:33.than 50 year association with the Commonwealth Games.
:10:34. > :10:37.Robbie and I were both at the Commonwealth Games in Perth in 1962.
:10:38. > :10:44.I won a silver medal to, but I think the highlight of the gains for us,
:10:45. > :10:45.we became engaged. Still together, Robbie and Dan have been telling a
:10:46. > :10:46.story in Cheshire in Cheshire schools ahead
:10:47. > :11:00.of the baton coming to Congleton. it means a lot to me not just the
:11:01. > :11:02.community member, but as a former athlete.
:11:03. > :11:08.I think it is truly to the spirit of the town. A spirit that everyone
:11:09. > :11:09.involved hope will continue long after the battle and Ponting has
:11:10. > :11:21.gone. Good luck everybody.
:11:22. > :11:23.Now, commemorations of the Second World
:11:24. > :11:32.And starting tomorrow, our BBC local radio stations will be continuing
:11:33. > :11:35.their coverage of World War One At Home ` here's a preview of some
:11:36. > :11:46.I am determined to be imprisoned or shot before I will take up munition
:11:47. > :11:54.work or minesweeping, or any work distinctly military under the
:11:55. > :11:59.military authorities. It seems Clementina served with
:12:00. > :12:02.distinction in France. Contemporary reports say she spent time under
:12:03. > :12:07.fire in the trenches at their done, one of the most drawn`out and
:12:08. > :12:11.desperate campaigns of the war. The work on airships, the design
:12:12. > :12:15.work, the experiments, there was a tremendous legacy. It went into
:12:16. > :12:21.heavier than air aeroplane is, especially metal aeroplanes. They
:12:22. > :12:26.were very, very powerful bows, and could also carry a lot of people, so
:12:27. > :12:32.they were used as troop carriers. Brought back to Burnley after the
:12:33. > :12:36.First World War by the lads of the old East Lancs, they found this
:12:37. > :12:37.golden nectar. They thought it was only fair to bring it back to
:12:38. > :12:43.Burnley for their mates to share. Fascinating stories there ` we'll be
:12:44. > :12:46.covering some of them here on Northwest Tonight next week and the
:12:47. > :12:50.rest you can hear from 8.15 tomorrow And the stories are now online
:12:51. > :13:05.at bbc.co.uk/ww1 Sport now, and Andrew Flintoff's
:13:06. > :13:07.decision to come out of retirement is what the cricket
:13:08. > :13:13.world is talking about tonight. Well, let's join Richard at Emirates
:13:14. > :13:32.Old Trafford where his Lancashire Yes, Roger. He is here, as you say.
:13:33. > :13:36.We were watching him a few minutes ago warming up with his new
:13:37. > :13:40.team`mates, but he knows the team very well. You can see pictures of
:13:41. > :13:44.that now. Great to see him out here again, back for Lancashire. He
:13:45. > :13:46.looked delighted to be part of the squad again. He isn't playing in
:13:47. > :13:48.this match. Lancashire are